I think we’re all supposed to say that it has been an awful year – and it has had its moments – but actually, I’ve had a lot of fun. The bad things have been mostly to do with not seeing friends and family enough. Our two offspring have had big events in their lives…
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Thoughts on 2020 (6) – this blog
2020 was a record year for readership (pageviews) on this blog. Here are the previous five years (1 Jan – 31 Dec) and this year: 2020, 1,331k pageviews (with a few hours still to go) 2019, 1,139k pageviews. 2018, 898k pageviews 2017, 876k pageviews 2016, 1,254k pageviews 2015, 808k pageviews But what of the content?…
Thoughts on 2020 (5) – nature conservation
I don’t think that nature conservation, as a movement, comes out of 2020 very well. The economic challenges should have brought home to many nature conservation organisations that they have morphed too much into being part of the entertainment industry in recent years and have loosened their nature conservation and environmental roots. When it came…
Thoughts on 2020 (4) – politics
Do you think better or worse about politicians at this end of 2020 than this time last year? Has a crisis of COVID-19 and the challenge of Brexit raised or lowered your estimation of the politicians that you and our fellow voters elected? Come to that, do you feel more impressed or less impressed about…
Thoughts on 2020 (3) – birdwatching
I’m a poor naturalist but a half-decent ornithologist and birdwatcher. I haven’t seen many birds this year – certainly in terms of number of species. Although I know of many who do (overwhelmingly males) I do not keep a bird list for the year. Some of my friends and acquaintances would be able to reel…